Understanding the Aesthetic Response

A method for analyzing the different aspects of the human perception

process

Framework for evaluating aesthetic perceptions

• Form– All that is apparent to the observer– Design elements and principles– Expressive and referential characteristics

• Viewer– Individual characteristics– Preferences– Values

• Context– Physical– Cultural

Summary of Elements

• Color

• Line

• Light

• Pattern

• Shape

• Space

• Texture

Color theories

• Physics or Light theory (Newton)– Based on prism refraction; light wavelength– Additive; all primaries add to white

• Pigment Theory (Prang, Munsell)– Categorizes colors in primaries; further

differentiation dependent on theorist

• Psychological Theory (Ostwald)– “psychologically” different hues: r, g, y, b

Color• Prang color wheel –

pigment and additive theories

• Pigment theory of color development– Primary

– Secondary

– Tertiary

Prang Color Theory

Tint

Shade

Warm Cool

Prang Color Theory

Color• Munsell System – pigment theory

– Hue

– Value

– Chroma (intensity)

Munsell System

Hue

Munsell System

Line

• An elongated mark

• The connection between points

• Object’s edge

• 9 aspects: path, thickness, evenness, continuity, sharpness, contour, consistency, length, direction

Light

• Lightness

• Darkness

• Provides depth effects: roundness, flatness, 2-D to 3-D

• Drama

• Temperature

Light

Pattern

• Arrangement of lines, color, shapes, space on a surface

• Not garment pattern

• Collective grouping of more than 7 objects

Shape and Form

• Line + Space

• Shape – 2-dimensional

• Form – 3-dimensional– Hollow – volume

– Solid – mass

Space

• 2-D or 3-D

• Positive or negative – enclosed – unenclosed

• Shape-space

• Figure-ground

• Foreground-background

• Internal-external

Perception of Space

• Size of divisions

• Overlapping

• Closeness of shapes

• Density of divisions

• Convexity/concavity

• Enclosing lines

Space as Ground

• Provides importance – identifies, isolates, defines, distinguishes

• Exerts pressure – locates object in position of distance and position

• Provides distance

• Allows for rest and relief in composition

• Creates depth

• Appears more airy, less dense than surrounding objects

Space as Volume

• Convex and concave effects

• Hollowness

Texture

• Tactile – Feeling in hand

• Visual– Appearance to eye

– Created through repetition, pattern, gradation

Summary of Principles

• Balance

• Emphasis

• Harmony

• Rhythm

• Proportion

• Scale

Balance

• Symmetry (formal)

• Asymmetry (informal)

• Radial

Emphasis

• Focal point

• May be multiple – Primary

– Secondary

• Achieved through contrasting color, gradation, repetition, etc.

Harmony

• Agreement in feeling

• Consistency in mood

• Culturally constructed

Rhythm

• Feeling of organized movement – repetition

• Smooth, flowing, sharp, staccato, syncopated

Proportion

• Comparative relationship between parts

• Parts are related to each other within the greater whole

• Greek “Golden Mean” – 3:5 ratio

• 5:8 also considered classically attractive

Scale

• Relationship of sizes to the whole

• Generally considered in human terms

Viewer

• Individual personal characteristics– gender, age, or height.

• Individual personal preference– accumulated knowledge of likes and dislikes

– Expectations based on past experiences

• Individual personal values – these are often the most difficult to discover superficially, as they may be deeply rooted.

Context

• Physical– Immediate surroundings

• Lighting

• Colors

• Space

• Cultural– Date, time, place– Values and ideals of society